[tunes]

It's not $6K, at least not in the US. The street price for the Susvara in the US is $4500. You don't have to look hard to find it from an authorized dealer for $4500 in the USA.

True but you also need a higher power dedicated amp for Susvara. So now we are in the $7 K range at least.

 

[SteveM324]

True but you also need a higher power dedicated amp for Susvara. So now we are in the $7 K range at least.

I don't need a dedicated amp just for my Susvara. My Auris Nirvana drives my Susvara with ease along with my 1266 TC, ZMF VO, and Utopia. My Nirvana is just one of several amps that can drive the Susvara and many other headphones well. The need for a dedicated amp just for the Susvara is overblown. I have 2 speaker based amps (300 W/ch and 450 W/ch) and I have no desire to use them with the Susvara since the Nirvana does so well driving it. You do need a good amp to drive the Susvara well and it can drive the system cost quite high. My point is that you don't need a dedicated amp just for the Susvara.

 

[number1sixerfan]

The SR1a have better bass when paired with the RAAL HS1b.

https://forum.headphones.com/t/raal-requisite-hsa-1b-switch-drive-amplifier-review/9973

That's primarily the amp I've been using, with and without the WA33 as a preamp. I think it's a good amp, but I do think it's worth going the speaker route.

Have you ever heard the HIFIMAN HEKse? With the CHORD DAVE/Upscaler combo, these are really great. The Utopia was on my list to sell but recently tried them on a SET tube amp and they open up with a much better, wider sound stage. I could never get into the STAX due to the dedicated expensive amps required. The TC is great but the industrial design, high price and mechanics of a good fit turned me off but perhaps after your great review will change my mind. As far as the Verite closed, I am very much in need of a closed back for late night listening at home and this may just be my wife’s best friend. I know they are more closed but all reviews suggest they sound the most open of any closed back out there and have the best balance overall.

Haven't heard the HEKse, but it seems like a lot of people really love them. Would love to hear them, just don't have a real reason to add them to the stable given what I already have. I'm not a fan of the fit of the TC, but I think the fact that I still have them is a testament of just how good they are. Definitely worth a try.

I don't need a dedicated amp just for my Susvara. My Auris Nirvana drives my Susvara with ease along with my 1266 TC, ZMF VO, and Utopia. My Nirvana is just one of several amps that can drive the Susvara and many other headphones well. The need for a dedicated amp just for the Susvara is overblown. I have 2 speaker based amps (300 W/ch and 450 W/ch) and I have no desire to use them with the Susvara since the Nirvana does so well driving it. You do need a good amp to drive the Susvara well and it can drive the system cost quite high. My point is that you don't need a dedicated amp just for the Susvara.

Agree here. I don't believe a power amp is a must for the Susvara, there are plenty capable headphone amps that are out.. now whether someone prefers a given amp over another is another thing altogether.

 

[Shahrose]

That's primarily the amp I've been using, with and without the WA33 as a preamp. I think it's a good amp, but I do think it's worth going the speaker route.



Haven't heard the HEKse, but it seems like a lot of people really love them. Would love to hear them, just don't have a real reason to add them to the stable given what I already have. I'm not a fan of the fit of the TC, but I think the fact that I still have them is a testament of just how good they are. Definitely worth a try.



Agree here. I don't believe a power amp is a must for the Susvara, there are plenty capable headphone amps that are out.. now whether someone prefers a given amp over another is another thing altogether.

Enjoyed reading your impressions, thanks for sharing. We hear things similarly, but when I added dedicated speaker amps, all my headphones started sounding better, most notably the SR1a. I was coming from a HSA1b (and JotR) too. I wonder how that would change things for you. As it stands, you already have an exceptional HP collection.

As for the HEKse; I liked them and they sound just as good as the Susvara from average quality amps. Switch to high-quality/high-power amps and the Susvara pulls ahead noticeably. You can estimate how much the others HPs do too.

 

[foefoe]

Hi, what speaker amp did you find superior over hsa1b, if I may ask?

 

[Shahrose]

Coda No. 8 and Kinki EX-M1+ (with upgraded discrete opamps)

 

[number1sixerfan]

Enjoyed reading your impressions, thanks for sharing. We hear things similarly, but when I added dedicated speaker amps, all my headphones started sounding better, most notably the SR1a. I was coming from a HSA1b (and JotR) too. I wonder how that would change things for you. As it stands, you already have an exceptional HP collection.

As for the HEKse; I liked them and they sound just as good as the Susvara from average quality amps. Switch to high-quality/high-power amps and the Susvara pulls ahead noticeably. You can estimate how much the others HPs do too.

Thank you, I appreciate it! And yea, definitely for the Sr1a I suspect that a really good speaker amp could be a bit of a game changer. The improvement the WA33 has on the bass alone is what has me curious about a speaker amp for it. I need to let my wallet breathe for a bit lol, but that'll be the next thing I look into.

And that was my thought around HEKse, I figured that would be the case. So thank you for confirming.

Lastly, general update. Found out it's still another three weeks or so for the Shangri-la Sr. The wait is killing me and was hoping it would be nearly built by now, but I'll just continue trying to forget about it lol

 

[tunes]

Enjoyed reading your impressions, thanks for sharing. We hear things similarly, but when I added dedicated speaker amps, all my headphones started sounding better, most notably the SR1a. I was coming from a HSA1b (and JotR) too. I wonder how that would change things for you. As it stands, you already have an exceptional HP collection.

As for the HEKse; I liked them and they sound just as good as the Susvara from average quality amps. Switch to high-quality/high-power amps and the Susvara pulls ahead noticeably. You can estimate how much the others HPs do too.

I found the HEKse to have a larger sound stage than the Susvara. Does the speaker amp expand the more closed in stage of the Susvara compared to the HEKse? Is there now real sub base with the SR1a on a speaker amp?

 

[Shahrose]

I found the HEKse to have a larger sound stage than the Susvara. Does the speaker amp expand the more closed in stage of the Susvara compared to the HEKse? Is there now real sub base with the SR1a on a speaker amp?

I found the HEKse to have a taller soundstage than the Susvara, especially from respectable headphone amps. To answer your question though, yes the Susvara's stage expands considerably with better amping. It'd be discernable to even untrained ears.

I think the SR1a has subbass, just not as much planars. It's more comparable to the HD800 but a little less.

 

[mammal]

Lastly, general update. Found out it's still another three weeks or so for the Shangri-la Sr. The wait is killing me and was hoping it would be nearly built by now, but I'll just continue trying to forget about it lol

3 weeks passed, any update? We are all patiently waiting

 

[Sajid Amit]

If I had to rate...

Wow Factor

1. Sr1a
2. TC
3. 009
4. Susvara

Clarity

1. Sr1a
2. TC/009
3. Susvara

Detail

1. Sr1a/TC/009
2. Susvara

note: this is very, very close. To my ears they are almost all the same. Very slight.

Imaging and Soundstage

1. Sr1a/TC
2. 009
3. Susvara

Midrange

1. 009
2. Susvara
3. Sr1a
4. TC

Bass

1. TC
2. Susvara
3. 009
4. Sr1a

Overall Balance

1. Susvara
2. 009
3. TC
4. Sr1a

note: this is not a slight to the Sr1a. Still an amazing headphone, this category is based on the gaps of each headphone

Conclusion

Once again, I have landed on one fact that I’m pretty certain to be somewhat objectively true---there just is no best. The comparisons back and forth actually were really stressful at one point, as over and over the flaws of each headphone became more apparent. I truly wish I could combine a few or all of them together for the perfect headphone lol. I do have the HifiMan Shangri-La Sr. on order and I am cautiously hopeful that it will takeover as king and fill that need, but I’m skeptical (although I think I’m going love it regardless). That said, at the moment the 009 is still my favorite, with it and the Sr1a dominating most of my time. Totally preference and will vary for others. I do also want to add two last tidbits: 1) if the TC didn’t have recession (and comfort) issues, to me, it would be the best headphone out and ever. I am constantly impressed by it, but it doesn’t get the head time as the others; 2) The Susvara is absolutely amazing. I don’t want that to be lost despite the wow factor aspect—again totally understand why people would own it only due to how so well balanced it is... ending it on this note, I'm extremely excited to get back to just listening to one or two headphones a night and to cease the exhausting comparison (and thief of joy process). Cheers.

Wow, great impressions, Richard. One of the most balanced reviews I have read, period.

 

[tunes]

Wow, great impressions, Richard. One of the most balanced reviews I have read, period.

Where does the Focal Utopia and ZMF (open and closed) fit in to this list?

 

[number1sixerfan]

3 weeks passed, any update? We are all patiently waiting

I'm waiting more patiently than anyone! LOL.. I think they're dealing with distribution/sourcing issues just like a lot of other companies during the pandemic. But I just sent an email to check in with my dealer. Hopefully soon, but now I'll be traveling (last minute trip) and after Memorial Day will be the earliest I can even get to hear them

Wow, great impressions, Richard. One of the most balanced reviews I have read, period.

I really appreciate it! I try to be as fair and thoughtfully accurate as possible. I think that really helps people understand what may or may not fit best for them. Thanks for checking it out, let me know how it goes with the Sr1a or 009.

Where does the Focal Utopia and ZMF (open and closed) fit in to this list?

Both are slightly below performance wise than the four compared here, with the Utopia besting the ZMF closed. Both are still really, really amazing.. but it was an easy decision for me to sell both the Utopia and VC, as the other four were just dominating my listening time.

 

[tunes]

I'm waiting more patiently than anyone! LOL.. I think they're dealing with distribution/sourcing issues just like a lot of other companies during the pandemic. But I just sent an email to check in with my dealer. Hopefully soon, but now I'll be traveling (last minute trip) and after Memorial Day will be the earliest I can even get to hear them



I really appreciate it! I try to be as fair and thoughtfully accurate as possible. I think that really helps people understand what may or may not fit best for them. Thanks for checking it out, let me know how it goes with the Sr1a or 009.


Both are slightly below performance wise than the four compared here, with the Utopia besting the ZMF closed. Both are still really, really amazing.. but it was an easy decision for me to sell both the Utopia and VC, as the other four were just dominating my listening time.

I'm waiting more patiently than anyone! LOL.. I think they're dealing with distribution/sourcing issues just like a lot of other companies during the pandemic. But I just sent an email to check in with my dealer. Hopefully soon, but now I'll be traveling (last minute trip) and after Memorial Day will be the earliest I can even get to hear them



I really appreciate it! I try to be as fair and thoughtfully accurate as possible. I think that really helps people understand what may or may not fit best for them. Thanks for checking it out, let me know how it goes with the Sr1a or 009.


Both are slightly below performance wise than the four compared here, with the Utopia besting the ZMF closed. Both are still really, really amazing.. but it was an easy decision for me to sell both the Utopia and VC, as the other four were just dominating my listening time.

I have the SR1a with the HSA1b and love the detail, sound stage and even the clean punchy non-bloated base. I have the HEKse and love the sub base, open sound stage, the Utopias do better with a wider sound stage on a tube amp. I am about to get the ZMF VC just to have a closed back that I can use late at night and not disturb anyone. The hardest next decision is between the ABYSS TC and SUSVARA. I want to avoid speaker amps and not sure if another amp purchase just for the Susvara or Abyss makes sense. Have heard that the HSA 1b can drive both and I have this amp. I really don’t want to spend another $5k just for a dedicated amp. I liked the Abyss but not the form factor. It just seemed too industrial and at times too much sub base for my taste. I was underwhelmed comparing the HEKse to the Susvara and liked the more open sound stage of the HEKse better even if not as smooth. Decisions decisions.....

 

[Sajid Amit]

I have the SR1a with the HSA1b and love the detail, sound stage and even the clean punchy non-bloated base. I have the HEKse and love the sub base, open sound stage, the Utopias do better with a wider sound stage on a tube amp. I am about to get the ZMF VC just to have a closed back that I can use late at night and not disturb anyone. The hardest next decision is between the ABYSS TC and SUSVARA. I want to avoid speaker amps and not sure if another amp purchase just for the Susvara or Abyss makes sense. Have heard that the HSA 1b can drive both and I have this amp. I really don’t want to spend another $5k just for a dedicated amp. I liked the Abyss but not the form factor. It just seemed too industrial and at times too much sub base for my taste. I was underwhelmed comparing the HEKse to the Susvara and liked the more open sound stage of the HEKse better even if not as smooth. Decisions decisions.....

The Susvara blows the HEKse out of the water, as they say, when properly amped.